Whats the FAFSA?

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a form that you prepare annually to determine your eligibility for student financial aid. FREE MONEY FOR COLLEGE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our federal government provides student aid in the form of Pell Grants and all you have to do is complete your FAFSA application! As such, I figured I would give you guys a heads up on what exactly you will be needing and what common mistakes to avoid.

 

Basic Information to Know

*** Common demographic information for you and your parents is necessary!

 

-You need your SSN or registration # for eligible non-citizens.

 

-Your parents (both!) SSN.

 

-Date that your parents were married or divorced (if this applies).

 

-If you parents are not married, you will choose one parent to provide information for. It should be the parent that you spend more time with. If you spend equal time with both parents, the parent who has provided the most financial support is the FAFSA parent. It does NOT have to be the parent who claims the student as a dependent on their taxes.

 

-You will need a copy of your parents tax forms. These are likely their 1040 or 1040A forms.

 

-If you file taxes, you will need that information too! This is called your 1040 EZ.

 

-Make sure you and your parents have a federal student aid PIN. Get your PIN at pin.ed.gov.

 

-If you and your parents have already filed taxes for this year, you can use the IRS Data Retrieval tool to import the information from your taxes.

 

-If you and your parents have not yet filed your/their taxes, you can estimate based on last year’s tax information and update your information later.

 

Common FAFSA Mistakes

 

-Below is a really helpful link to avoid the common pitfalls of filing your FAFSA. PLEASE DO NOT PAY FOR YOUR FAFSA!

-Click here for a great link

 

Step-By-Step FAFSA Guide

 

-Click here for a step-by-step guide for filling out your FAFSA from the financial aid office at UC-Santa Barbara. Super helpful!